As a VNSNY Population Care Manager, I work to coordinate care of high-risk patients and ensure that all the clinicians are on the same page in regard to the treatment plan. Shortly after I took on this role, I met an elderly couple I’ll call Steve and Rose. Steve was chronically ill and had recently experienced multiple falls, and his care team was concerned that he was no longer safe at home. Steve didn’t want to go to the hospital or another facility for an extended period, however, because he…

Ivriia was receiving home care from VNSNY for a variety of medical conditions, but the care she received from a VNSNY social worker addressed her deepest pain.

“Ivriaa was intelligent and proud,” recalls Shoshana A., the social worker who helped Ivriia deal with the psychological pain and anguish. “She had conflicts with her husband, her family lived out of the country, and she was home bound. She stayed home except to go to the doctor. She felt stuck, lonely, and helpless to change her unhappy state.

This guest blog was written by Jennifer Morales, an acute care nurse in Queens. She has been with VNSNY for eight years and specializes in wound and geriatric care. She’s currently pursuing her master’s degree in administration at Adelphi University.

We are out in the sun a lot in the summer. My kids go to summer camp; we go to the parks, the pool and the beach; and I always make sure I am slathering my children with sunscreen to protect them from getting too much sun or a sunburn. But…

By Amelia Muir, BSN, RN-BC, Behavioral Health Nurse, Visiting Nurse Service of New York

Recently, I’ve been working with a patient to manage his depression and anxiety symptoms. I suggested to Mr. B. that he try taking 15- to 20-minute walks two or three times a week with his home health aide as an experiment to see if this would help to improve his mood. Mr. B. decided to try my suggestion, and over the next few weeks I started to hear a real shift in how he described his life.

This guest blog was written by Jennifer Morales, an acute care nurse in Queens. She has been with VNSNY for 8 years and specializes in wound and geriatric care. She’s currently pursuing her masters degree in administration at Adelphi University.

Dealing with chronic pain is not an easy task. Chronic pain is defined as pain that last longer than six months. It affects over 100 million Americans and can take both a physical and emotional toll on patients, so many patients also suffer from depression. Common causes of chronic pain are joint…

We often refer to the difficulties faced by the “sandwich generation” — those in their 40s and 50s who find themselves caring for elderly family members while they still have children at home. Worrying about driving your elderly mom to the doctor can be especially stressful when you also need to cook a healthy meal for your growing teen. But sandwiched caregivers, take heart: While no one can diminish the stresses you face in caring for both older and younger family members, this may be an opportunity for multiple generations…

Have you ever considered combating loneliness by sharing your living space with someone else? Brain studies prove that the more social we are, the longer we live—and the better quality of life we enjoy. In one study, researchers at Harvard Medical School followed nearly 45,000 people who had heart disease or were at high risk of developing it. The four-year study found that those who lived alone were more likely to die from heart attack, stroke or other heart-related problems than those who lived with others.

Finally, some good news about family caregiving—and right in time for November, which the Obama administration has declared National Family Caregivers Month. The news? A recent study found that, contradicting long-standing wisdom, people who care for a family member live longer than similar people who aren’t caregivers.

Now let’s be clear—caregivers who are feeling strained in their responsibilities face a number of physical and emotional health risks, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, chronic illness, and even stroke. But according to the Johns Hopkins-led study published online in the American Journal of…

As a spousal caregiver, you may find that the reduction of intimacy between you and your spouse is a major cause of the loss you are feeling. Caregiving changes roles and expectations and the emotional attachment that was once the catalyst for intimacy and romance may suffer. For example, certain illnesses and medications can affect a person’s sexual functioning or a caregiver may worry that someone with psychological conditions such as dementia cannot properly consent to a sexual relationship.

Rising summer temperatures are not only a source of discomfort but can cause heat related illnesses especially in the elderly. Before you head outdoors stay safe by following these essential safety precautions.

1) Check the latest local heat advisories

2) Avoid walking between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — generally the hottest time of the day

3) Begin your daily walk at a slow pace to prevent exhaustion and retreat to a cool place if you start to feel uncomfortable